There were two articles today that pretty much contradicted eachother. First one was about stroke deaths dropped after folic acid( B vitamin ) was added to food. Folic acid can lower homocysteine levels. Homocysteine – a amino acid in the blood is a risk facctor for stroke and heart disease.

Another article mentions that lowering homocysteine does not protect the heart. It does indicate that levels of homocysteine may be high in people predisposed to a heart attack or stroke, and folic acid and other B vitamins does lower the homocysteine, but studies have shown that the risk of stroke or heart attack is not changed.

“The rate of heart problems or stroke was 18.8 percent for volunteers getting the supplements and 19.8 percent for the placebo recipients. There was not much of a change.

Little disconcerting. I have been under the impression that lowering homocysteine does reduce risk of heart disease and stroke.

Well I am a believer in protease and nattokinase for preventing clot formation and stroke. There are both safe and natural and the studies are already promising. i recommend everyone take protease and those with history of irregular heart beats, DVT, and have had minor strokes it is an excellent adjust to their regimen.

It could be that what you are eating, or rather the foods you are sensitive is causing you problems with sleeping. More than 50 percent of American adults exprience insomnia at least a few nights a week. Sleep deprivation causes reliance on artificial stimulants to sustain them through the day. Not everyone needs 8-9 hours of sleep. Generally if you’re able to wake up on time without an alarm clock, you’re getting enough rest. If even an alarm clock can’t rouse you, you probably aren’t sleeping as much as you should. I have found poor digestion, food sensitivities and impaired liver detoxification to be the cause of insomnia. Over the years I have seen the following food sensitivities to be the underlying root of insomnia: corn, wheat, dairy, caffeinated products and sugars.

Taking a digestive enzyme before meals and a new sleep-enhancing enzyme formula stabilizes sleep patterns and improves sleep quality. Rid those food sensitivities and eat less food will help with better sleeping patterns.

In an article written in the medical journal “Thorax” by Dr. N.J. Wareham et al of Medical Research Council in Cambridge, UK reveals that modification of diet can reduce onset of asthma. It is reported that people who suffer with asthma tend to consume less fruits and have decreased intake of Vitamin C and manganese. It was also reported that blood levels of vitamin C were lower in people with asthma than their healthy counterparts.

So eat your raw meal each day, take your enzymes for good absorption of vitamins and minerals and eat more vitamin C foods. I have seen vitamin C to be extremely good for asthma. I have actually seen it stop wheezing associated with an episode of asthma almost immediately.

In addition to direct support of the skin, digestion, nutrient absorption, waste elimination, food sensitivities and toxic reactions influence skin health. Digestive enzymes break down food and facilitate the absorption of nutrients into the bloodstream. Eating wholesome organic foods with digestive enzymes can minimize free radical damage. As the body’s metabolic thermostat, the thyroid gland is important in regulating temperature and energy production, with a direct impact on enzyme activity and therefore skin health.

Neutralizing toxins that trigger free radical formation also minimizes free radical damage. The liver plays an important role in the elimination of toxic waste by filtering toxins from the blood. The colon is also critical to the detoxification process. Also, both protease (protein digesting) enzymes and probiotics support a healthy immune response and reduce the risk of infections throughout the body, including those related to acne.

When I was younger and practicing as a chiropractor I herniated my L4 -5 disc and became unable to practice chiropractic manipulation again. It was very hard, and debilitating. I had surgery for my disc, but unfortunately the surgery was not successful. I experience leg pain almost every day. Honestly the only thing that saved me was my diet, enzymes and exercise every day. Standing and sitting for too long was always pro-inflammatory. I bring this up, because I remember experimenting with different foods to reduce inflammation. The most remarkable change in pain and stiffness was the complete avoidance of sugars, starches and grains. It was almost immediate. The chronic inflammation was 75 % less. So therefore my outlook on grains emerged. And I began to study and research the not so healthy aspect of grains.

Today I came across an article about Mediterranean diet having anti-inflammatory effects. It seems like sticking to a Meditarranean diet high in fruits, and vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, meat and meat products, fish, a and low in saturated fats, lowers levels of inflammation in the elderly, as reflected by lower levles of a metabolite called C-reactive protein (CRP) – this is a marker of inflammation. This diet also contributes to prevention of heart disease. So kill two birds with one stone. And you may also loose weight as well. I bet the antioxidants in these foods is probably the reason.

Well add a digestive enzyme to you food. people with inflammation may do better with the protein/fat digestive enzyme and definitely protease. These are very effective.

My good friend and colleague, Dr. E has been telling me about blended salads for many years now. He grew up on it and brought his children up on this. he is also a fellow vegan, and by the way he looks 20 years younger than his age. He is 67. Never would believe it.
I wanted to share this recipe with you.
Thank you Dr. E and here it is:
1 vine ripe tomato
1/2 large red pepper
1/2 medium cucumber
lemon juice or lime juice
1/2 romaine lettuce

Add optional: parsley
avocado
almond butter
onion
ground flax
And two stalks celery: us these to push the other ingredients in the blender
usw a good blender or vitamix , and eat immediately after blending.
Take you digestive enzyme with blended salad and enjoy !!!

Yes we are born with all the enzymes we need. However every individual is different. As Dr. Howell , the father of enzymes says, each of us inherits a certain enzyme potential. So based on that and the fact that we can deplete our enzyme reserve causes concern and therefore a need to supplement.
We can deplete that enzyme reserve by not chewing our foods well, putting a bigger demand on our digestive juices to digest a meal that should have been better pre- digested by adequate chewing. Chronic health diseases, antibiotics, hormone laden meats, pastries made with refined flour and sugar, artificial sweeteners and artificial fats, including trans fats such as margarine and partially hydrogenated oils (all tax the body’s systems without providing their fair share of enzymes and nutrients), drugs, toxicity and eating very little raw food can also deplete that reserve. And even if we eat 50% raw foods which is not common in this population, the soil is so over agriculturized that our food is depleted of their enzymes co factors for optimal  enzyme activity. When we get to the point when we are not making up the shortfall through diet and supplements, our bodies may not have enough to carry out vital functions. These functions slowly degenerate because the enzyme-driven chemical reactions on which they depend don’t occur. Typically the first sign of enzyme deficiency is digestive distress, which can manifest itself as indigestion, gas, irregular bowel movements, nausea, heartburn, bloating, food cravings, and food sensitivities or reactions ranging from headaches to eczema.
The length of life is in direct proportion to the rate of exhaustion of the enzyme potential of an organism. The increased use of digestive enzymes promotes a decreased rate of exhaustion of the enzyme potential.

It appears that allergic disease is an important issue worldwide. The incidence of allergies is rising and they present in different ways such as sinusitis and ear infections ,asthma, headaches, food allergies, skin allergies such as eczema, and hives. The increasing incidence of allergies and asthma has not been completely explained but may be due to many factors. Factors contributing to the increasing asthma prevalence may include home and office construction and resulting allergen exposures, as well as poor digestion, food allergies, poor food choices, and increasing obesity and, outdoor and indoor air quality. I believe the health care providers need to look into lifestyle changes to change the trend of the increasing occurence of allergies. People are frustrated with the treatment options for allergies and asthma. The results are poor, they are temporary and the side effects are more than one can bare. Let’s finally turn the attention to common sense life style changes. It is easy, fun and you have one side effect- FEELING GOOD !! AND NO MORE ALLERGIES !!